KC Week in Review April 26, 2013

YEAR-ROUND CURFEW: Is one solution to the problem of teens causing disturbances on the Country Club Plaza to extend a 9pm summer curfew ordinance year-round? A proposal at City Hall to do just that, led to a blunt discussion about race this week. One city councilman points out that all 34 curfew violation tickets have been served on black teenagers.

A TERMINAL PETITION: This week, a group of Kansas City residents filed paperwork with the city clerk’s office in Kansas City to start a formal challenge to the planning for a new terminal at KCI Airport. The group of five petitioners is seeking a referendum on what they say is an unnecessary and wasteful $1.2 billion expenditure. The city insists the effort is totally invalid.

BROWNBACK: Why is the Kansas Governor on a campaign to preserve what some see as an unpopular tax? This week, Governor Brownback goes on a tour of university campuses trying to prevent them from losing millions of dollars in cuts from the state legislature. Lawmakers are refusing to renew a one-percent state sales tax imposed during the administration of Governor Brownback’s predecessor, Democrat Mark Parkinson. But Brownback says if the tax is not renewed, it would mean a 4 percent cut to universities and that would be a “momentum killer” for the state.

GUNS: The Jackson County Sheriff’s office is extending its administrative office hours to keep up with the number of people coming in seeking a concealed weapons permit. Sheriff Mike Sharp says concealed firearm permits are already up 53% on last year. In Clay County, they’re up 50 percent. Why?

MEDICAID EXPANSION: Republican Senators made it clear this week there will be no Medicaid expansion in Missouri this session. The Republican-led Senate voted down a Democratic attempt to insert $890 million of federal funds into Missouri’s budget to expand Medicaid eligibility to an estimated 260,000 lower-income adults.

HOLLAND SWORN IN: New Wyandotte County Mayor Mark Holland was finally sworn into office this week. But there was a noticeable absence at the standing room only affair in the commission chambers.

DRIVERS LICENSES: If you trying to get a new drivers license in Missouri, you might have a hard time. As punishment for the Department of Revenue’s decision to share private concealed weapon permit information to federal authorities, the Missouri Senate this week voted to defund the entire budget of the Missouri Drivers License Bureau. What does it mean to you?